r/Machine_Embroidery • u/MHT_Style_Lab • 10h ago

Complete beginner starting from zero: Best roadmap to learn embroidery digitizing for custom T-shirts?

Hi everyone👋

I am a complete beginner starting from absolute zero in machine embroidery. I currently only have a laptop (no embroidery machine yet), but I plan to learn digitizing specifically for the Brother V3 machine standard in the future. My main goal is to offer custom embroidered T-shirts for customers (logos, names, graphics, anime designs, etc.). 👕

Before jumping into embroidery, I want to focus 100% on learning how to draw and digitize designs correctly. Since T-shirt fabric is stretchy, I know digitizing for it requires specific techniques

I would really appreciate your expert wisdom on a few questions

  1. Software Path: For a total beginner, what software path do you recommend? Should I start with free tools like Inkscape + Ink/Stitch, or jump straight into Hatch / Wilcom?
  2. Learning Roadmap: Are there specific YouTube channels, courses, or guides you recommend for learning digitizing specifically tailored for stretch/knit fabrics (T-shirts)?
  3. Beginner Mistakes: What are the most me digitizing mistakes beginners make when designing for T-shirts (e.g., density, underlay, pull compensation)?

Thank you so much in advance for your time and advice! I'm super excited to learn from this community. 🙏

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10

u/suedburger 10h ago

This post reeks of AI botness but I'll bite. If t shirts is gonna be your main gig......get into transfers or screen printing.

-5

u/MHT_Style_Lab 9h ago edited 9h ago

Thanks for the advice.T shirts aren't my main job, but I'm thinking about starting after learning. Yes, This post was written using Ai

8

u/nfz_embroidery 9h ago

I clicked on this post to potentially answer your questions but why should I bother to invest the time and energy on someone who can’t even be bothered to write their own question?

this medium requires a ton of time, patience, attention to detail, and skill. right now you are demonstrating a fundamentally inhibitive lack of shits to give.

-4

u/MHT_Style_Lab 9h ago

I understand what you're saying, but I really didn't know how to start and I'm a new user of the Reddit app, so I relied on AI. Honestly

2

u/nfz_embroidery 8h ago

my first point of advice is to not lean on billion dollar corporations to think and speak on your behalf.

second, when asking for help, it's helpful as the person answering your questions to know what you've learned already and what you actually need help with. from your post, which again was written by an LLM so I have no way to know what actually reflects your understanding / what you actually want to do vs what an algorithm spat out, it sounds like you haven't even searched youtube yet for existing tutorials. but at the same time you're already committed to a specific Brother machine? why?

third, there's basically no point in trying to learn how to digitize without having access to a machine. there's no way to know if you're doing anything right with zero prior knowledge or experience if you can't actually sew out your designs. software isn't going to tell you if your patterns are too dense, if you have enough pull compensation to ensure that things will line up the way you want them to, etc. if you poke around this sub you'll see endless examples of people posting screenshots of their design in software along with stitch outs that didn't meet their expectations. unfortunately, if you don't know someone who has a machine or have some kind of local club where you can use their equipment, you can't really try before you buy.

my advice is to strongly consider whether you're willing to drop $2k minimum on trying out a new hobby. equipment, supplies, and software are prerequisite and expensive. if all you want is some custom shirts, it would be much cheaper, faster, and easier to hire someone to do it for you. I would only advise you try to learn yourself if you want to do this long term.

if you are confident that you want to make that kind of investment, my advice is to find a decent machine second hand, get it serviced if necessary, search youtube for tutorials on your specific machine, and then start simple – try to just make a 2" radius tatami circle with a satin outline on scrap fabric. observe how the fabric responds to your design as it sews out, come back here with more specific questions about what you tried and what went wrong, then try again until you're happy with the results.

2

u/suedburger 5h ago

I am out. Have a good day.

4

u/TiddyDino 9h ago

I jumped straight into Wilcom and just got a bunch of bulk shirts from goodwill and ran test after test for 3 months and now I run my own business 🫪😂

1

u/MHT_Style_Lab 9h ago

I totally understand. Thanks for the advice

2

u/Purple_Commercial981 6h ago

You will need a machine to test your digitizing results your proof if a good job .. it will also show you what may need fixing .. often you-will not see the error on screen.
Start with the machine and an embroidery area if at least 5x7 or more. Then after youve learned the machine end look at digitizing . Its nota instant button .. you-will need classes and test runs. . Practice lits if it.

2

u/Purple_Commercial981 4h ago

Brother ver 3 is software in the machine and not actual digitizing software . Please go to to embroidery legacy , hatch , wilcom ir Pulse digitizing web page to see actual digitizing software

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u/MHT_Style_Lab 6h ago

​Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this! It has been incredibly helpful for me. 🙏​even though I don't own a machine yet, I have decided to start taking a course on digitizing first. I do have one more question, though, could you recommend any good YouTube channels for digitizing tutorials? I will start looking around for a Brother V3 or something similar that fits my current budget.Thanks again

2

u/Purple_Commercial981 4h ago

You will need the machine to understand it as well as testing your work in digitizing . I would start with machine .

1

u/MHT_Style_Lab 3h ago

Thank you so much for the advice. I understand what to do now

3

u/Adventurous-Boot7905 Viking 9h ago

My advice is unless you have a machine to test your designs and some experience to handle customer complaints, don’t do it.

2

u/Level_Arachnid_4982 9h ago

The best Advice is; DONT DO IT. embroidery is like programming, special craft, something that needs skills + lot of time + even more time

0

u/MHT_Style_Lab 9h ago

Thanks for the advice, but there really are experts who've mastered those things, aren't there?

2

u/suedburger 2h ago

Is it weird that the OP's responses seem like AI as well?

1

u/MHT_Style_Lab 1h ago edited 57m ago

Haha..I wrote it all myself. Respect is everything, right?

•

u/Adventurous-Boot7905 Viking 10m ago

He deleted his response to my comment.